Legends of Amacia Rise of the Caverias
Chapter 15: Antilla and the Red Tower

At the same moment far off in the ruins of Ezra Karac’s watchtower, Hanna stirred with a moan. A soft voice echoed in her ear, “Hanna, it’s time to wake up.” She felt a nudge and slowly came to. The sensation of someone holding her close filled her. When her eyes finally opened, Hanna found herself cuddled against Nathanael’s large chest as his arm gently held her in place. “What?” she murmured, blushing when she realized that Nathanael was holding her, “Nathanael...why am I using you as a pillow?”

“This is a dangerous place and cold at night,” Nathanael replied, “I was just making sure you were safe and could get a good night’s sleep. I wasn’t out of line, was I sister?”

Hanna smiled warmly, shaking her head. “Not at all, my friend,” she replied, “Thank you for caring enough to keep me safe and warm during the night.” She rolled back and sat up straight with a yawn. “Oh, dear me, I’m feeling a bit strange this morning,” she commented.

“How so?” Nathanael asked innocently.

“I’m feeling like I’m finally going home,” Hanna admitted. “Strange, isn’t it? I’m also feeling energized somehow. My strength is up, too. What do you make of that?”

“Maybe you’re healing faster now,” Nathanael suggested.

“Could be,” Hanna replied. “Maybe it has something to do with Ezra’s sword. I can feel its energy from here.”

“Is that so?” Nathanael asked, his eyebrow rising.

“Yeah,” Hanna stated, “...and you know what else?”

“What,” Nathanael queried, sensing something strange stirring in Hanna’s mind.

Hanna motioned for him to come closer. Nathanael leaned down and Hanna abruptly kissed him on the lips. His eyes grew wide as he looked down into Hanna’s eyes. When she backed off, he asked in a surprised tone, “Hanna, why did you kiss me like that?”

“Isn’t it okay for a girl to kiss her best friend to thank him for keeping her safe and warm in the cold night?” Hanna asked with a warm smile, “Besides, I love you, Nathanael. You’re the father I lost long ago. Thank you for everything.”

Nathanael smiled. “You’re most welcome, little sister,” he murmured. “And I love you too. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had a female kiss me like you did. It has stirred long dormant feelings in me; a longing that only a mate can fill.” He sighed deeply. “Oh, Electra; how I miss you. How I long to hold you and kiss you and make sweet love to you.” Tears welled up in his eyes as his memories of his wife blossomed again. “But it’s not to be. I’ve been alone for so long. I’d forgotten what it felt like to have genuine affection from a woman. Why does everyone I love end up missing or dead? Why?”

“Oh, Nathanael,” Hanna said softly, realizing her kiss had done much more than she wanted it to. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for my kiss to open up old wounds.”

Nathanael wiped his eyes. “Don’t be sorry, little sister,” he said with a smile. “Your kiss just reminded me of what’s been missing in my life. I haven’t stopped to savor the little things, apparently just like you did. It’s time I remedy that.” He looked into Hanna’s eyes with some uncertainty. “You’re a very beautiful woman, Hanna,” he declared, “It’s a wonder the Emperor let you be so intoxicatingly beautiful when he mutated you. I must thank him for it.”

“Why thank you, Nathanael,” Hanna chimed. “That’s a really nice thing to say since you know I used to be a man. Being a woman and finally accepting it has opened a completely new realm to me. Since this happened, I’ve learned to follow my feelings and emotions and not suppress them as I did as a man.” She scanned Nathanael’s eyes for a moment, suddenly sensing Nathanael’s emotions. “You loved your wife very much, didn’t you?” she asked.

“I did,” Nathanael admitted. “God, I wish I could taste her lips again. She was the best kisser that I’ve ever seen. She snared me forever with her kiss.”

“Is that a fact?” Hanna replied, intrigued with the revelation.

“It is,” Nathanael stated, “I loved Electra from the moment I laid eyes on her, but I was painfully shy and stayed back. Only when she kissed me that one time in that special way did I know she had accepted me as her mate.”

“I know what you mean,” Hanna admitted, “When Selina kissed me at our wedding before my unfortunate mutation she snared me too. God, I love her so much. I can only assume it was the same for you with Electra. Only a blind fool couldn’t see you still yearn for her.”

“I do,” Nathanael said softly. “All these years of her and Kida being missing haven’t dimmed my love for them. Not knowing what actually happened to them has been a torment. I still want to hold and kiss them.”

“I wish I knew what to tell you, Nathanael,” Hanna replied, “Electra and Kida are huge missing pieces of your life that’s kept you isolated from everyone. It’s not good to be alone. I know this from brutal experience. You have to let others in or you’ll never truly be happy. We are social beings that need interaction on every level.” Inspiration suddenly hit Hanna and she cupped Nathanael’s cheek in her hand. “I know I’m not your wife,” Hanna murmured, “...but if you want, I could stand in for her. I know you want to kiss her and love her. Kiss me and pretend I’m her. As a friend, I’m offering myself to you to kiss and cuddle with. You need some close female companionship. If you don’t, this thing will haunt you forever.”

“I couldn’t,” Nathanael returned. “You’re my friend. It wouldn’t be....” Hanna suddenly planted a passionate kiss on his lips to shut him up, holding his cheeks in her hands. Once again, Nathanael’s eyes grew wide and then closed as he gave in, soaking up the love Hanna was sharing with him. He drew her into an embrace as they kissed.

When Hanna finished, she licked her lips and asked, “Is that better? I’ve always wondered what it would be like to kiss you. Now, I know. It’s a pleasant thing to do, but not as pleasant as kissing Selina. She has this way of kissing that reaches my very soul.”

Nathanael stared at Hanna with a smile decorating his lips. “Thank you,” he murmured. “I don’t feel like I have such a hole in my heart now. However, I could never mate or be intimate with you beyond this. Selina already has your soul.”

“So true,” Hanna admitted, “But as much as being a woman has opened my eyes, Selina and I can only be whole if I can find a way to reverse this mutation. I hope the answer lies in Antilla.”

“Me too,” Nathanael stated, “Now, let’s get ready for the flight.”

“Let’s do it,” Hanna chimed.

Argus, who had been watching silently, smiled. “You never cease to surprise me, Hanna,” he rumbled.

“How so, my draken friend,” Hanna asked as Nathanael rose to gather the supplies.

“You were willing to be intimate with your closest friend in an effort to ease his loneliness and pain, even as a woman,” Argus stated. “Plus, you’re adapting very well to the mutation too. Instead of fighting against the body and status as a female as many men would do in your situation, you have embraced the essence of being a woman. You’re not fighting your feminine impulses, but welcoming it. Moreover, I see you’re starting to enjoy it. It’s allowing you to actually live and embrace your emotions as you should.”

“True,” Hanna replied, “As I said before, being stuck like this has enabled me to free my feelings and follow them without inhibition. I’m truly starting to live for the first time in my life. It’s allowing me a whole new perspective on life and it has shown me that completely suppressing my feelings and emotions as a man was a terrible mistake. I swear that if, and when we find a way to reverse this mutation, I’ll take the lessons I’m learning as woman and apply them to my true male form. No longer will I be the cold, calculating, withdrawn man I used to be. I’ll live as I was meant to: by embracing my emotions and merging them with my logic to become a balanced being.” A broad smile crossed her face. “At this very moment, despite everything that has happened, I feel more alive than I have ever felt before,” she declared, “I’m truly happy and feel that all things are now possible. Can you believe it? I’m actually happy being a woman. What does that say about me? Have I given up on being a man by being happy to be a woman?”

“Not at all,” Argus replied, “Don’t forget, Hanna. I can see your mind. You’re happy because this mutation has shown you that there’s so much more to live for, not that you’ve given up on returning to your masculine status. You still deeply yearn to return to your original status as a man, but for now, you accept your place as a woman. Your faith allows you to be happy in your present state. It even gives you the strength and will to continue to help your family. You sensed Nathanael’s loneliness from the loss of his wife and daughter long ago, so you wanted to help by being a surrogate wife for him. Only as a woman could you do that. That’s why I marvel at you, Hanna. You were given lemons and made lemonade out of it. The Ancient of Days surely guides your steps, little sister.”

“No arguments there,” Hanna agreed. “As much as I enjoy being a woman, I prefer being the man the Lord originally created. As for Nathanael, I sensed the hole in his heart from Electra and Kida’s disappearance needed to be tended to. I’ve noticed it for a long time and here recently, it has gotten much worse. He’s become increasingly distant and withdrawn like I used to be, and to a great extent, still am. As a man, I would have never offered myself to him, but I’m no longer the man I used to be, literally. He needed the female touch and since I am the closest thing he has to family beyond Selina, I wanted to help him release those feelings. Had I any idea that this mutation was permanent I would gladly serve him intimately without any reservation. He deserves the warmth of a mate’s touch.”

“But you could never replace Electra,” Nathanael intruded as he offered Hanna some breakfast. “And knowing that you were once a man would also be a problem I couldn’t ignore. I could never truly mate with someone I called son, even though he was mutated into a woman. But I’m truly honored that you’re so concerned about my welfare that you’d offer to be my mate.” He then kissed Hanna’s knuckles, adding, “You’re so beautiful, Hanna, but I just couldn’t betray the memory of my wife. For now, I must be content with what I have. I have you and Selina as my family. I could not ask for anything more.”

“You’re always such a gentleman,” Hanna chimed pleasantly. “You’re always looking out for me and Selina. I think it’s time we looked out for you too. Can I ask you to do something for me?”

“As long as it doesn’t require us to mate,” Nathanael replied.

“When you need a kiss or want to cuddle with someone, let me know and I’ll oblige you,” Hanna suggested, “Everyone needs a kiss and a cuddle once in a while, even me. We don’t have to mate. Just know if you need some physical affection, let me know. Besides, I feel safe when you hold me like you did last night. I liked it.”

“Deal,” Nathanael replied, “I may take you up on that. Having you in my arms last night made me feel truly good. Just know I would never hurt you.”

“I know you wouldn’t, Nathanael,” Hanna replied. “Now, let’s eat so we can get moving.”

“Right,” Nathanael stated.

Four hours later over the Dune Sea, Hanna and Nathanael sat on Argus’ back as he headed to the south. The Avernian Mountains loomed before them in the distance. They closed on the mountains quickly and within an hour passed over the mountain wall, entering Calui. “Welcome to the land of Calui,” Argus commented as they cleared the mountains. A vast sea that stretched off to the horizon abruptly confronted Hanna and Nathanael. Below them lay a narrow strip of land roughly three leagues across that stretched from the base of the Avernian Mountains to the sea. “Behold the Sea of Calui; our goal lies far out into this treacherous body of water,” Argus announced as they closed in on the sea. Puffy white cumulus clouds drifted far out over the sea. The size of the body of water impressed Hanna and Nathanael. Just as they passed out over open water, Argus said, “Look down just to your left and you will see something that may interest you.” Hanna and Nathanael did as Argus requested and they saw an immense submerged city that stretched for miles along the shoreline and into the deep. Great heaps of stone and buildings protruded from the water as the waves crashed into them.

“What was this place?” Hanna asked in awe.

“That was the great city of Tarshish. A thriving seaport it was until the Kragonar. The merchants of Tarshish were among the richest on the planet. They traded in all manner of goods, even human flesh. In fact, the merchants of Tarshish’s greatest commodity were their fellow man: either as slaves or as cattle for the Cadre. They peddled human flesh as one would a garment. They were particularly fond of human organs such as hearts, livers, lungs, kidneys, and other organs because they could get a premium price for them. However, their wealth didn’t save them when the wrath of the Ancient of Days fell upon the world. In an hour, Tarshish was cast down and drowned in the sea,” Argus said calmly.

Hanna glanced back at Nathanael and said, “Sounds like the merchants we have on the surface. They don’t know human dignity. Everything has a price and between the traffic in human parts and the drugs they push, most of them are classified as the most powerful men in the world because of their vast wealth. Little do they realize that their money gods will not save them in the end, just like the merchants of Tarshish.”

They flew on for another four hours and as the four hours ended, both Hanna and Nathanael were becoming very fatigued and weary with the flight. Numbness started to plague Hanna’s hips because of the long flight sitting on Argus’ back. They flew over what seemed to be an endless sea. Unexpectedly, a voice echoed inside Hanna’s head, saying, “You’re not far now, little sister. Come through the mists.”

Hanna abruptly looked around, thinking Nathanael had spoken to her. “Did you say something, Nathanael?” she asked.

“No, little sister,” Nathanael replied. “Maybe it’s your imagination.”

When the voice echoed softly in Hanna’s ears again and she realized it wasn’t Nathanael or Argus, Hanna’s excitement rose. “No,” she insisted. “It’s him. It’s Enoch. I just know it! I’m going home!”

Hanna’s last comment surprised Nathanael. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Ever since we set foot in this savage land, things have not always appeared as they seem. You could be deceived by this Enoch.”

“No way,” Hanna insisted. “Why would you say such a thing? Don’t you want me to go home?”

“Of course I do,” Nathanael replied calmly. “I’m just saying we should approach this Enoch carefully. We don’t know for sure if he’s a friend or foe yet. All we have are the dreams you’ve had. I’m just looking out for your welfare. It is why I’m here, isn’t it?”

Hanna looked over her shoulder with a surprised look. Nathanael smiled warmly at her, giving her a gentle squeeze with his arms he had around her. “Don’t let your heart run away with your head,” he advised. “This Enoch is an unknown as of now. Don’t let your exuberance overrule your common sense. That’s all I’m saying. He’s obviously a powerful telepath if he can find you here on Argus’ back in the middle of nowhere. We must be careful and so should you.”

“Nathanael is correct,” Argus commented. “As of now, you don’t know what awaits us. Remember who you are, Hanna. Don’t let your emotions run away with your head.”

“You’re both right,” Hanna stated, realizing she’d let her emotions run away with her. “I really need to find that balance. Letting my emotions run wild is as bad as not letting them out at all. Thanks for the slap. I needed it.”

“It’s why I’m here, Hanna,” Nathanael stated, smiling. “What kind of bodyguard would I be if I let you run amok to your detriment?”

“Not much of one,” Hanna replied as she started scanning the horizon ahead of them. “I’m glad you’re here to keep me from screwing up.”

“No problem,” Nathanael purred.

Hanna continued to look out over the endless sea and far off in the distance saw a strange peculiar looking cloud. It drew her attention as they rapidly closed on it. As they approached the cloud, Hanna recognized it and said, “Nathanael, it’s the cloud in my dream. Antilla is just the other side of it. I’m sure of it.” Her adrenaline began to pump a little as the excitement and anticipation of reaching Antilla began to build in her heart again. Nathanael put his hand on Hanna’s shoulder and smiled as he saw the hope on her face. Within minutes, they plunged into the cloud. Hanna and Nathanael lost all sense of direction. They couldn’t tell where they were. “It’s just like the dream,” Hanna commented excitedly as they flew through the mists. The mists were cool and refreshing as they breezed through the cloud. Hanna clenched the ancient sword she’d found the night before as they flew on. For nearly an hour, they remained in the cloud. As they approached the inner perimeter of the cloud, both Hanna and Nathanael could sense something odd about the cloud, but they couldn’t decide what it was. Their skin was tingling and their hair was standing on end as if they were passing through a wall of static electricity. The phenomena seemed to have no effect on Argus.

Argus suddenly said after an hour in the cloud, “Prepare yourselves for the unfathomable.” A few minutes later, they emerged from the cloud into open sky. Daylight was slowly fading. Immediately, they saw great pteronadons and pterodactyls soaring over the sea, fishing. Hanna and Nathanael looked at each other with awe, and then they looked out to the horizon. At first, there was nothing but water. Then as they moved on, a shape seemed to rise slowly out of the water. Fifteen minutes later, the shape resolved itself into a beautiful island that was emerald green around the perimeter with a steaming volcanic mountain in the center of the island.

Both Hanna’s and Nathanael’s mouths fell open in amazement. “Holy Christ; it’s real!” Hanna breathed in astonishment.

“Behold the legendary island of Antilla. Look to the southeastern corner of the island and see our destination,” Argus announced. As they closed in on the island, Hanna and Nathanael saw a giant spire rising from the southeastern point of the island that dwarfed anything ever constructed on the surface. The closer they came, the more details they saw. Massive herds of bison and mastodons roamed the grasslands and forest of the island. Giant flying reptiles as well as great caronadons soared over the land and sea. The tower grew and grew as they approached. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by five giant caronadons that were seemingly giving them an escort in.

A league out, the tower’s size, shape and color became evident. The tower of blood-red granite rose like a giant round spike. Hanna and Nathanael looked at each other in numbed awe as they saw the top of the tower and the great crystal pyramid there. Hanna’s eyes refused to shut as they approached the giant spire. The tower thoroughly impressed Nathanael. “It’s just like the dream, right down to the crystal pyramid,” Hanna finally said as Argus circled the tower looking for a place to land.

“Hold on,” Argus ordered as the caronadons banked away. He approached the base of the crown on top of the tower and landed in-between the spires and the center pillar the crystal pyramid sat on. Once he was down fully, he laid down on his belly to let Hanna and Nathanael off.

Nathanael slipped off first and staggered around when he hit the tower. Once he had his feet about him, Hanna handed the ancient sword to him, and then the scepter. When Nathanael had sat the items down, Hanna slid into Nathanael’s waiting arms. Nathanael’s strong arms caught her easily. He then stepped away from Argus and sat Hanna gently down on the red granite of the tower. “How’re you feeling?” Nathanael asked Hanna as he plopped down next to her with the ancient sword and scepter, relieved that he was no longer flying.

Argus looked at them and asked, “Are you all right, Hanna?”

Hanna nodded and said, “I think so. I’ve been flying so long that I’m just a bit woozy. I still don’t have any strength in my legs, which have gone completely numb from sitting so long. But other than that, I’m good.”

“All right here,” Nathanael replied. “Just glad were finally here. You weren’t kidding when you said it would be a long flight.”

Argus chuckled a bit as the daylight faded to early twilight. Nathanael sat the ancient sword and scepter next to Hanna. Hanna abruptly laid down on her back and looked up sighing a sigh of extreme relief. Her ribs and back ached and throbbed with every heartbeat. The spires with their crystal capstones rose like giant trees into the sky. The crystal capstones and the Crystal Pyramid seemed to glow softly in the deepening twilight. “Man, I’m tired,” Hanna commented. “I could just fall asleep right here.”

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